Urahara's living room wasn't exactly small, but with nine sudden visitors, it momentarily felt rather cramped. Leading the group was a young man sporting a yellow, ear-length bob. Judging by both his expression and the words he had just spoken, it wasn't hard to tell that he was currently very unhappy.
Being dragged out of bed in the middle of the night, wasting prime hours for hair maintenance—of course Hirako Shinji wasn't pleased.
Shifting his gaze, he thought, *So this is the guy Urahara called over?* Shihouin Kōe, the man who had vanished for nearly a century to train. Calling him here really lacked any sense of novelty.
He had just raised his hand to greet Kōe when someone else dashed out ahead of him, waving a hand back and forth in front of Kōe's expressionless face.
"Long time no see, Little Kocho!" Kuna Mashiro patted Kōe's cheek twice when he didn't react. "Are you asleep?!"
*Don't respond! Absolutely do not!* Kōe repeatedly warned himself. With Mashiro's personality of firing back ten sentences for every one you spoke, the only way to put a swift end to that embarrassing nickname was to play dead.
"I starved myself for a whole day back then, getting ready to feast at your and Yoruichi's wedding, but then you suddenly disappeared and made me go hungry for nothing! You have to compensate me, you hear me, Little Kocho?"
"Also, did you know your squad membership was revoked? You definitely didn't know, right? Let me tell you all about it."
"..."
After nearly three minutes of torment, the hyperactive little sparrow that was Kuna Mashiro finally quieted down. Naturally, this was all thanks to her captain, Muguruma Kensai. If he let her continue making a fool of herself, they probably wouldn't even get to discuss their actual business!
"Alright, we can resume our previous topic." Hirako rubbed his temples; Mashiro was giving him a headache too. "Right, what was I supposed to say again?"
"Aizen Sōsuke. I heard he was your lieutenant," Kōe quietly reminded him.
Hirako suddenly realized, snapping his fingers with his right hand. "As shown in the picture, he looks approachable, but all you need to know is that he's a bastard!"
He slapped his right hand heavily behind him, only to hit empty air. Hirako slowly turned his head. "Where's my picture?" Spotting Hiyori, who was carrying a roll of drawing paper on her back, Hirako continued, "Aren't you supposed to unroll the picture on your back right now?!"
"Shouldn't you use more formal words when asking someone for a favor? Like 'please' and 'I beg of you'."
"This is an order, an order! Besides, didn't we agree on this before we came?! What's there to beg for now!"
"Who cares what you were muttering to yourself back then, you Baldy Hirako!"
"..."
*Are they performing a comedy sketch?* Kōe couldn't help but wonder.
Former Squad 3 Captain Ōtoribashi Rōjūrō, Squad 5 Captain Hirako Shinji, Squad 7 Captain Aikawa Love. Squad 8 Lieutenant Yadomaru Lisa, Squad 9 Captain Muguruma Kensai and Lieutenant Kuna Mashiro, Squad 12 Lieutenant Sarugaki Hiyori, and Vice Kidō Chief Ushōda Hachigen.
A luxurious comedy troupe consisting of five captain-class and three lieutenant-class Shinigami. They might not be the funniest, but they were definitely the hardest hitters!
Add in the occasional guest appearances by Yoruichi, Urahara, and Tsukabishi Tessai, and that made seven captains—practically half of the Gotei 13.
This lineup theoretically had a chance of successfully counterattacking Soul Society, yet here they were, hopelessly engrossed in a comedic performance? For some reason, the ancient poem *'The singing girls know not the grief of a fallen nation, still singing the songs of the backyard flowers across the river'* suddenly welled up in his mind!
*Brothers and sisters, where is your indignation and hatred?! Take this a little more seriously!*
A few minutes later, looking at the richly detailed drawings, Kōe finally understood that Hirako and the others hadn't forgotten their hatred at all.
"Aizen Sōsuke, Tōsen Kaname, and Ichimaru Gin. These are the ones we can confirm were directly involved in the incident back then. Memorize their faces well."
"Wait a minute!" Kōe raised a hand to stop Hirako from continuing. He could accept the drawing of Ichimaru Gin, which looked exactly like a fox to emphasize his small eyes.
And the other one, which made him feel like he had crossed over onto the set of a detective show—a pure black silhouette—was probably meant to convey Tōsen Kaname's dark skin. He could barely tolerate that one too.
But what in the world was this last portrait, cobbled together from messy lines and overflowing with post-modern abstract style? No, strictly speaking, it didn't even resemble a human figure anymore. If it weren't labeled with the name 'Aizen Sōsuke', Kōe would never have associated this thing with a person, especially someone like Aizen.
"Do you have a more... realistic portrait? A face like this is a bit hard to remember..." Kōe said, looking at Hirako with full expectation.
The latter simply waved his hand. "That's not important. You just need to remember their names."
"What I'm about to say now is the crucial part. Regarding Aizen, you need to establish a certain awareness: he does indeed exist, but you might never have actually interacted with him." Hirako pointed to another part of the paper. "The reason is his Zanpakutō—Kyōka Suigetsu. Its ability is Complete Hypnosis!"
According to Hirako's account, due to the power of Complete Hypnosis, he had mistaken another person for Aizen for an entire month without noticing a single anomaly. This was also what he considered the biggest reason they were successfully ambushed fifty-two years ago.
"Although I don't understand exactly what kind of ability Complete Hypnosis is, based on my deductions, it can at least control the opponent's sight, hearing, smell, and Reiatsu perception, thereby plunging the enemy into an illusory world without them even realizing it."
Hirako's deduction about Kyōka Suigetsu was practically spot on. Kōe could also tell that even though Hirako outwardly showed a thousand kinds of disdain for Aizen, he actually held an extremely high level of wariness and respect for him—the kind of respect one reserves for a deadly enemy.
But that was unavoidable.
Kōe listened intently. Even though he understood Aizen and Kyōka Suigetsu better than anyone present, one couldn't truly comprehend the terror of Complete Hypnosis without experiencing it firsthand.
In his past life, Aizen had said something along the lines of: even if you realize you are being hypnotized, you are powerless to resist it. A person caught in Kyōka Suigetsu was like someone living in a fabricated reality show. You might think you've found the exit door, but who knows if behind that door lies just another, larger stage?
A smiling acquaintance might pierce your heart with a blade in the next second. A demon could be whispering right in your ear, and you'd be completely oblivious. Everything around you is real, but it could also be fake. To stay safe, it seems the only way is to distance yourself from everything. Can you only trust yourself? No, the one deceiving you might very well be yourself.
Just expressing such a feeling in words was enough to make one's heart heavy.
Furthermore, since there were already people following Aizen, considering the factor of Complete Hypnosis, whether there were other collaborators besides Ichimaru Gin and Tōsen Kaname was equally worth guarding against—especially that captain-class figure who had testified against them back then.
"So, returning to the Seireitei this time, you might encounter many unknown dangers." Hirako looked at Kōe with a solemn expression. "But we're leaving everything to you, Kōe!"
"I understand the general situation, and I have no problem returning to the Seireitei, but..." Kōe sighed, looking at Urahara and then back at Hirako, who looked as if he were entrusting an orphan to him. He said helplessly, "You guys have to at least tell me what I need to do once I get back, right? Tear Aizen apart with my bare hands and prove your innocence?!"
As soon as these words came out, the atmosphere became incredibly awkward.
After all that explaining and emotional buildup, Kōe still didn't know what his mission was?! Hirako shot Urahara a glare. *What the hell are you doing!*
"Ahem!" Urahara coughed lightly. Explaining the reason for calling Kōe here was indeed his job, but they had gotten caught up in playing cards, and time had slipped away.
But that wasn't the main point. Once Kōe knew the details, he might feel a bit more confident about the mission!
"We are sinners. To Soul Society, that is the truth, and it can no longer be changed."
"Do you remember when I mentioned earlier that I had achieved some sort of result in my soul enhancement research, Kōe?" Seeing Kōe nod, Urahara held up a finger and continued, "That is what you need to protect when you go back. I call it the Hōgyoku."
According to Urahara's explanation, the Hōgyoku was a substance capable of breaking the boundary between Shinigami and Hollows, allowing a Shinigami's soul to surpass its own limits. It was also what he had relied on when he tried to reverse the Hollowfication of Hirako and the others.
"When facing Aizen back then, judging from his words, he seemed to know that I was also engaged in soul enhancement research." Urahara frowned. "After waking Hirako and the others, I also realized that Aizen wasn't forced to retreat by me; rather, he wanted to see how far my research had progressed!"
Realizing this, even though Urahara was in the World of the Living, he would occasionally have Yoruichi return to Soul Society to monitor Aizen's movements while remaining hidden. He feared that if Aizen's research hit a bottleneck, he might set his sights on the Hōgyoku.
"And ten years ago, I learned that some unusual Hollows had appeared in Soul Society and the World of the Living. I knew then that Aizen's research had officially entered the phase of Shinigami-fying Hollows."
Hollows were inherently instinct-driven creatures. Even for a captain-class Shinigami with an exceptionally strong soul, completely resisting the loss of reason brought on by Hollowfication was extremely difficult. In Urahara's eyes, this was not the correct path.
Naturally, the Shinigami-fication of Hollows was the same. It and Hollowfication were two different paths, and it was impossible to declare a clear winner between them.
From this, Urahara realized that Aizen's research had likely hit a dead end, and at the same time, the man had seemingly never given up on the idea of finding them.
"With the power of Complete Hypnosis, as long as he finds us hiding in the World of the Living, taking the Hōgyoku wouldn't be too difficult for Aizen. Therefore, we made a bold decision: to hide the Hōgyoku back inside Soul Society!"
The most dangerous place is the safest place. Who would have thought that Urahara would place something as important as the Hōgyoku in Soul Society, a place he couldn't constantly monitor?
With this in mind, he used a special method to seal the Hōgyoku within the soul of an unfamiliar girl from the Rukongai named Rukia. This was different from simply placing it inside her body; even if the girl died and her spirit body dissipated, the Hōgyoku would protect her soul, allowing it to reform and reincarnate within Soul Society once again.
It couldn't be extracted simply by finding her and killing her. Without a method to instantly disintegrate the soul, it was impossible to remove the Hōgyoku from Rukia's soul.
"All this time, we've tried our best to ensure we have no ties to her. Even Kaien and the others who are in contact with us don't know how special she is, because the only way to find her is by directly or indirectly establishing a connection with us."
Urahara's frown deepened as he spoke. "But all of this changed because of one incident—an incident I never anticipated!"
The matter traced back to six years ago. Kuchiki Byakuya, the next head of the Kuchiki clan, actually went against all opposition and married a commoner from the Rukongai. This caused quite a stir in the Seireitei.
Aside from a sigh of 'ah, the power of love,' such an event wouldn't have drawn any of Urahara's attention. That was until last year, when Byakuya's beloved wife, Kuchiki Hisana, passed away from a severe illness. Right around that time, the girl carrying the Hōgyoku passed the entrance exam and became a first-year student at the Shin'ō Academy.
These two seemingly unrelated events were suddenly connected by the girl's appearance. After Byakuya discovered the girl who looked exactly like Hisana, she went from a sparrow to a phoenix overnight, becoming the adopted sister of the current head of the Kuchiki clan, Kuchiki Byakuya!
"For the Four Great Noble Clans, especially the Kuchiki clan which values noble honor above all else, to adopt a commoner into the family is truly unprecedented." Urahara paused, suddenly remembering that the man sitting in front of him, who had almost become 'Shihouin Kōe', was in a similar situation. He added, "Your case is a bit special, so the implications it draws are different from this."
If Kōe married into a noble family, it was because he had Yamamoto standing behind him and possessed outstanding personal strength. But for this background-less Rukia to be bestowed the Kuchiki name was baffling. Was it solely due to the clan head's longing for his late wife? That lacked a bit of persuasive power.
"It's practically common knowledge that Yoruichi, the current head of the Shihouin clan, was close friends with Byakuya in their youth. For Rukia to enter the Kuchiki clan so easily naturally invites suspicion." Urahara rubbed his temples. "And what happened next completely exceeded the scope of what I can control."
After entering the Kuchiki clan, Rukia quickly graduated from the Shin'ō Academy and joined the Gotei 13. After all, the Kuchiki clan had never had a precedent of one of their own studying alongside commoners at the Academy.
What was strange, however, was that Byakuya didn't place her in Squad 6 to keep her by his side. Instead, he arranged for her to join Squad 13, almost as if he were shunning her.
"Kaien is currently the lieutenant of Squad 13, and due to Ukitake's health, he handles most of the squad's affairs as the acting captain." Urahara paused, taking a deep breath before continuing. "He is practically the captain of Squad 13 now..."
The implication was clear. If Byakuya's intervention could still be considered an accident, then with Kaien's involvement, from Aizen's perspective, it was at least certain that Rukia had a connection to Yoruichi. And who Yoruichi was currently with was no secret either.
"So, having me return to the Seireitei at a time like this..." Kōe chuckled. "The water is certainly getting muddy."
"Then let it get muddy. The muddier, the better!" Just as Urahara finished speaking, Hirako's voice immediately followed. "Of course, on the surface, you have to look like you're doing it unintentionally. We're going to have to practice this properly."
...
"What's with that expression? Are you afraid Aizen won't figure out you've already met us?!"
"Your eyes might be small, but you can still see, right? Oh right, then why do you think Ichimaru Gin wouldn't be able to see you covering your eyes!"
"Remember, at this point, you're not supposed to know Aizen and the others. Stop glancing at us! Even if Tōsen Kaname is blind, he can still sense it!"
"..."
Over the next few days, Hirako and the others constantly wore various masks to train Kōe's acting skills, striving to make him react naturally to Aizen and the others even while knowing everything.
However, this student didn't seem very bright, causing them no end of headaches.
Meanwhile, Kōe protested that as a veteran actor who had been putting on acts since childhood, even he couldn't help but break character. Did they have any idea how ridiculous the masks on their faces were?! Those weren't faces a human could grow!
Thanks to this bizarre training, Kōe's tolerance for comedy reached an unprecedented breakthrough. Soon, the day came for him to part ways with Urahara and the others.
"Make sure to stay safe over there, and visit Kūkaku and the others for me occasionally!"
"I got it. And you better remember this too: when you transform from a cat back into a human, make sure you have clothes nearby!" Kōe roared, pointing at Yoruichi. They were an old married couple by now; even if they didn't have the reality of a marriage, she still needed to be mindful of basic decency!
"It's all up to you now, Kōe. If you get the chance to come to the World of the Living, we'll exchange intel again."
After flashing an 'OK' sign at Urahara, Kōe stepped into the prepared Senkaimon and vanished from their sight.
"Aren't you afraid he'll take the Hōgyoku for himself? A man who could give up a captain's seat and leave his wife behind to go train for over seventy years—I don't believe for a second that he has no desire for power." Hirako asked Urahara in a low voice. "Telling him everything... do you really trust him that much?"
"Of course I trust him. After all, when I talked about the Hōgyoku, Kōe didn't show the slightest bit of interest in it. There are many paths to pursuing power. Who knows, maybe he's already found his own path? A path far more correct than the Hōgyoku." Urahara said, suddenly recalling the worried look Kōe had when Kaien was mentioned. "Besides, even if it's just to vent his anger for us, he wouldn't scheme for the Hōgyoku."
"But..." Hirako's words were cut off by Urahara. "There are no 'buts', and there can't be."
"Yoruichi and I understand Kōe's abilities very well. With Head Captain Yamamoto keeping an eye on things, it's impossible for him to silently steal the Hōgyoku on his own, and he knows this very well!" Urahara raised an index finger. "Under these circumstances, Kōe's only option would be to cooperate with Aizen and use the power of Complete Hypnosis to achieve that goal."
"So you've thought of that possibility too?" Hirako replied with a bitter smile.
To his surprise, Urahara shook his head, pulling his hat down as he spoke in a low voice. "That possibility does indeed exist, but you'd better pray it never comes to pass, Mr. Hirako."
"Not just because he's our friend. If a man capable of causing widespread chaos in Hueco Mundo were to become our enemy, that would be truly tragic."
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